The Gingerbread House
by scarlett2112
Summary: This is written for FAITH2727. It's based on her prompt for the LJ DELENA A2A Exchange: It's up to Elena to choose the perfect tree for this year's Gilbert family Christmas, so she heads to the best place in Mystic Falls-the Salvatores' tree farm. FULL PROMPT INSIDE.
1. Chapter 1

FULL PROMPT: It's up to Elena to choose the perfect tree for this year's Gilbert family Christmas, so she heads to the best place in Mystic Falls-the Salvatores' tree farm. She's prepared to hunt down the tree and cut it herself, but she soon discovers it's a bigger job than she'd planned on. Enter Damon, who she secretly has a thing for but has never been brave enough to act on it. As he helps her wrangle a tree, will she finally muster up the courage to reveal her feelings there in the middle of the woods?

Bonus points for snow, hot cocoa, a surprise kiss, and a healthy dose of DE fluff. :)

* * *

"Jeremy, your job is to get the outside decorations put up. I want lights on each of the pine trees surrounding the front door as well as lights all along the front of our gated entrance," Miranda Gilbert directs, looking down her nose from above her eyeglasses at her son. "Ric and Jenna, I would like you two to help him. Our property is huge and it's a big job. And yes, I want something along the lines of "Christmas Vacation," she adds in a rare moment of levity. Turning to Elena, she quirks her brows to find her daughter not paying attention, instead her hands are busy dancing, likely texting one of her friends.

"Elena," she says, tightening her grip on her pencil. When her daughter still doesn't look up, Jeremy chuckles and elbows his sister in the ribs, pointing to their mother when an indignant look plasters itself on her face.

"Sorry, mom. What is it that you want?"

"I want you to put the phone away. This is important family business. I want to win the award for the most beautifully decorated property in Mystic Falls this year."

"You win that every year. What's the big deal?"

"We didn't win it last year because you forgot to bring home the holiday topiary arrangements that I had ordered," Miranda adds, glowering at her daughter.

"You're never going to let me forget that are you?" Elena sputters, rolling her eyes. "Fine, what is it that you want me to do this year?"

"Your job, Elena dear, is to get the Christmas tree. I talked to Giuseppe the other day. He says that they have a few nice tall ones. I want one that's at least twenty feet high for the grand entryway."

"Twenty feet!?"

"Yes, Elena..., twenty feet."

"How do you expect me to get a twenty foot tree home in the back of my VW?"

"I guess you'll have to rent a truck or something. Moving on, Grayson, your job is to wind garland along the staircases and put up the nativity set."

"Fine dear," he agrees, barely looking up from his newspaper.

Clapping her hands together to get everyone's attention, Miranda continues, "Alright, everyone has their assignments. Let's get to it." After giving Elena a pointed look, she turns on her heels and leaves the dining room. Sighing heavily, Elena gets up and goes to her room. Pulling her phone out of her back pocket again, she calls her friend Caroline.

"I'm expected to go to the Salvatore tree farm. You have to come with me, Caroline, I mean.. he'll be there."

 _"I can't Elena. I have things of my own to do. You probably won't even see him."_

"Yeah but what if I do? I mean, he's gorgeous and ripped and perfect."

 _"And you're kind and beautiful and everyone loves you."_

"He doesn't even know I exist, Caroline."

 _"Don't be so insecure. You're amazing Elena and if he can't see that, it's his loss. Now put your big girl pants on and get out there. The sooner you go, the sooner it'll be done._

"Please come with me?"

 _"I literally am not in Mystic Falls. I'm with my dad. I'm not going to be home till the day after tomorrow."_

"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick," Elena mumbles, rushing to the bathroom to hug the toilet bowl. Although it was only dry heaves, Elena still takes the time to wash her face and brush her teeth. After touching up her makeup and hair, she carefully puts her slouchy stocking cap on. Grabbing her leather jacket, she hurries down the stairs, slipping her arms through the sleeves as she goes. Having no qualms about actually picking out the tree, it's running into him that has her on edge. As soon as she's in her car, she drives over to her childhood friend Matt's garage to see if she can borrow his truck. After pulling to a stop, she shifts the gears, gets out of her car and walks into the building.

"Elena, hi."

"Hi Matt. I have a big favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"My job this year is to find the perfect Christmas tree. My mom is demanding one at least twenty feet high. And as you can imagine, there's no way in hell that I'll get it home in my car. Can I borrow your truck?"

"Elena, I don't think my truck will get your tree home either? Where are you going to find this tree might I ask?"

"Apparently she's been talking to Giuseppe Salvatore so.."

"The Salvatore tree farm. They have some flatbeds to transport the trees. I believe they deliver for a nominal fee. Since your home is within a few miles of their property, I'm sure they'd deliver it."

"Well that's one problem solved. Now, what kind of a saw do you suggest that I cut it down with?"

Smiling, he shakes his head and walks over to the shelves that are lining the walls of his garage. Pulling out the small step ladder, he climbs up and reaches for something on the top shelf. "Here you are," he mumbles to himself. Once he has it in hand, he climbs back down the ladder and walks over to Elena. "This is a bow saw. Just be careful okay? I don't want to have to visit your broken body in the hospital if it falls on you."

"I promise. Thank you so much, Matt," she squeals, a huge smile on her face. After plopping a kiss on his cheek, she skedaddles. Jumping back into her car, she drives to the highway and makes the turn towards the Salvatore Farm. They're famous around these parts, having every kind of tree known to man practically. They have groves and groves of pine trees and groves of apple trees. Mrs. Salvatore makes wine with the apples and the fruits that they grow. The three Salvatore children all work on the property with their parents. Katherine is the oldest, she's married to Nick Mikaelson. Stefan is the youngest and was in Elena's graduating class. He's engaged to Nick's sister Rebekah who's also a good friend to Elena.

And lastly there's the middle child, Damon. He's cocky and smart. He's also the target of every single woman in a five state radius. The man is gorgeous with his jet black hair and his handsomely sculpted body. There's an air of mystery about him too because he isn't often seen in town nor in the company of the women that drool all over themselves when he does make an appearance at one of the many town events. Stefan even told her that he has a pet Raven, Annabelle he calls her after the Edgar Allan Poe poem, Annabelle Lee. According to Stefan, Damon even trained it to talk.

Curious, she did a little research herself about the birds. Corvids are a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. When it comes to intelligence, Ravens rate up there with chimpanzees and dolphins.

When she sees the road sign advertising the tree farm, she moves into the right lane so she can exit off of the highway. Taking a deep breath, she puts on her blinker, presses lightly on the brake and turns off of the highway, onto the road that leads to the Salvatore farms. When she reaches the gates of their property, she turns in and when she reaches the tree lot, she parks her car. Because it takes some effort to chop down a tree, there are precut trees available to buy also. None of them are of the twenty foot level as far as Elena can tell. Walking into the lot, she heads over towards the office where the customers go to pay for their purchases. Stepping inside, Elena blows on her hands cause it's a chilly day. Looking up at the sky, she sees that it's a brownish color. Knowing that it's likely to snow at some point, she wants to get her tree, make arrangements to have it delivered and get home to her nice warm pajamas and a cup of hot cocoa.

Looking around the corner, she steps in the building when she sees Mr. Salvatore beckoning for her to come closer. "Hello, Elena. How are you?" he asks. Standing up, he goes to pour himself a cup of coffee. Happening to glance out of the window, he notices Damon carrying a tree for another female customer. With a subtle nod of his head, he smiles and then turns his attention back to Elena. "Would you like a cup? It's a bit nippy outside."

"Hi Mr. Salvatore. It's nice to see you again. And no thank you, I'm not a big coffee drinker."

"You get prettier every time I see you. Now how can I help you today?" he asks, sitting back down. Glancing outside again, he sees Damon mulling around not doing anything really.

"Thank you," she tells him, her face heating up with a red hue. "My mother put me on Christmas tree duty. I need one that's a minimum of twenty feet."

"Then you'll need to go out into the forest. Just follow the trail, I'll send Damon to help you."

"That won't be necessary," she protests, shaking her head back and forth.

"Elena, you're just a tiny little thing. What do you think your mother would do to me if something happened to you? I know it's fun to fell a tree, Elena but if you want one that big, it can be dangerous if you're a novice. That's a big reason why my grandfather started this business. When he was just a young boy, he would chop them down and sell them to earn money to buy Christmas gifts and that sort of thing. With my great grandfather's help, he made his dream come true. It was my father who built it into what it is today. Now why don't you head out and pick the one you want and I'll round up Damon and send him after you."

"I hate to disturb whatever he's busy with."

"You won't be disturbing anything but you should get busy. My arthritis is telling me that the weather is going to change."

"Yeah, the sky does look a little threatening," she agrees, turning towards the window for a moment. With a smile on her face, she turns back to her host. "Alright, I'll go. Thank you, Mr. Salvatore."

"You're very welcome," he adds, watching her retreat through the door. Smirking to himself, he picks up his jacket and walks outside. Giuseppe knows that Damon has been sweet on Elena since the first time he laid eyes on her. And he hasn't forgotten that Miranda herself told him that Elena has a soft spot for his middle child. Although his son is so like him, he keeps his feelings tight to the vest. Approaching the young man, Giuseppe says, "Damon, Elena Gilbert is headed towards the forest to get her mother a twenty foot tree. I told her that you'd help. You don't mind do you?"

"Dad, come on. I may or may not have plans with a someone. I was hoping you'd let me leave a little early today and besides Stefan is around, can't he help her?"

"Stefan is leaving in a little while to meet Rebekah. And If my arthritis wasn't bothering me today, I'd help her myself. So please, Damon, do as I ask?"

"Fine. I'll help her with her tree. I need to run into the house first to feed Annabelle. Is there anything else?"

"It'll take a little time to down one of those huge trees. I'll send Brady out there with the winch as soon he gets back to help you load it onto the truck."

"Fine," Damon says, blowing out a puff of air. With the chill settling in, he can see his breath. Hurrying into the house, he slips into his heavier boots and wraps a scarf around his neck. Then he stops at Annabelle's cage to give her some corn kernels, gently pets the bird's head and leaves his room. Once he gets outside, he goes into the garage to pick up one of their gas chain saws and starts walking into the woods, his mind imagining how gorgeous Elena will look with her cheeks colored red from the chill in the air.

* * *

Happy that she put her boots on, Elena trudges through the forest, the trees so dense, it's hard to see the sky sometimes. One could easily get lost in here, she thinks to herself as she continues her mission. When she finds what looks like the perfect tree, she starts to circle it, her eyes darting from top to bottom. Swallowing thickly, she wonders how on earth she's going to be able to cut the massive tree down with the little saw that Matt gave her. Dropping her chin to her chest for a moment in frustration, she sets the saw down then starts to walk around it again, trying to figure out where to place the saw and get started. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her gloves and slips them on. Still she knows she'll have blisters by the time she's done. Sucking in a deep breath, she squares her shoulder, "You can do this, Elena," she says out loud to no one. Just as she places the blade against the bark, she hears a rustling noise. Looking up, she gasps when she sees Damon approaching her.

"Damon?"

"My dad sent me to help you."

"I guess he did mention that. I told him that I could do this myself."

"Oh please," he laughs, shaking his head, strutting towards her like he's God's gift to all womankind.

"No, you can just march right back to where you came from," she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look Elena, even if you could down it yourself, how is a little bitty girl like you going to get it onto the truck?"

Tightening her lips together, her eyes drift from Damon to the tree and upwards to where it crowns above the surrounding ones. "Fine, have it your way." With a quirk of her brows, she steps back and out of the way, using her arm to gesture for him to get to it.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Damon gives her a wink then fires up the chainsaw. The roar of the blade is deafening. He cuts down at an angle and when he finishes the one side, he walks around to the other side of the tree, doing the same. When he finishes, he tells her to stand back then gives it a shove and the tree comes crashing down, falling perfectly in a gap between the other trees.

"Well I'm impressed," Elena offers, glancing between her bow saw and his chain saw.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert. Those little saws are fine for the smaller trees but with the thick trunks of these big ones, you need some power," he adds, with a twinkle before looking down at the saw. "My dad is sending Brady and some of the guys to help get the tree onto the flatbed. Um, if you want, you can go home and I'll bring the tree over.

"Oh no, I'm not leaving without this tree. You don't know my mother at Christmas time. Last year I forgot to pick up a special order she made at the florist shop and I have yet to hear the end of it. Truly, my mild mannered and loving mother becomes a crazed Clark Griswold this time of year," Elena tells him, the seriousness in her voice causes him to break out in raucous laughter.

"Don't laugh, it's the truth, I swear."

"It's hard to imagine Miranda Gilbert as crazed but I'll take your word for it. Just think, Elena, in a few years, that will be you... I mean you are her daughter after all," he quips, playfully quirking his brows. Although she knows he's just teasing, it does nothing to calm her already frayed nerves. Maybe she should just go and let him deliver the tree later.

Although he tries to play it cool and deprecating with her, it's usually about this time when his nerves go into overdrive and his stuttering problem reveals itself. Surprisingly enough, he feels somewhat at ease with her and although his heart is beating a little faster, his speech is fine... for now anyway.

Anxious and on edge at being so close to him, she wants nothing more than to get the hell out of here. Even though all the girls swoon and drool and practically drop their panties when he passes on the sidewalk or attends an event with his family, she hasn't actually seen him in the company of many of them. Perhaps he just hasn't met anyone that he's really interested in, Elena thinks to herself.

With her nerves firing in all directions, she forces a smile when she sees his shit eating grin. Rolling her eyes, she glances at her watch aghast to realize that they've been waiting for the other guys for almost forty minutes already. Needing nothing more than to get out of here, she looks up at the sky. It's getting darker, the air more crisp and she almost thinks it looks like a little fog is beginning to settle in. Her cheeks are already red from the cold. Feeling the chill more acutely, she starts rubbing her hands together.

"You're cold. Here, take my scarf," he offers. Unwrapping it from his neck, he stands up and drapes it over her shoulders.

"Thank you. Um, what's taking your friends so long?"

"I honestly don't know, Elena. I would've thought he'd have been here by now too," Damon admits, feeling the first flakes of snow melt on his face.

"Come on, let's walk back. If nothing else, Brady and I can bring the tree to your place tomorrow."

Although it pains her to say it, she asks, "Can we wait just a little while longer? I mean, I'd hate to face my mother empty handed,"

"Does that mean that you're enjoying my company, Miss Gilbert?" he asks, the shit eating smirk back on his face.

With her gut churning, she can feel her cheeks bloom even more red. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her, she looks up at the sky, watching as the snowflakes flitter down softly. Although every urge inside of her is telling her to run, she somehow tampers it down. Even though her fingers are cold, she pulls a glove off and holds out her hand, mesmerized by the way the snowflakes melt as soon as they touch her warm skin. Having nothing better to do, she offers, "It pretty out here though isn't it? I love the smell of the pine trees and the fresh air. It must be nice living with the woods for your backyard?"

"It re re really is," he adds, stuttering slightly. With the help of a wonderful speech therapist, Damon was able to overcome his impediment, it's only when he gets nervous or jumpy that it rears it's ugly head. It's just easier for him to smile and flirt rather than chat when he's around the opposite sex. It's just his family who knows how hard it was for him to triumph over the demon as it were. Even though he's lived in Mystic Falls nearly his whole life, his mother homeschooled him after his kindergarten classmates teased him unmercifully. Because of that most people don't know and _she_ especially doesn't' know about his speech problem.

Not thinking anything of it, Elena stands up to stretch her legs. "I'm going to look around a little bit, I mean, I'll certainly hear your friends when they come right? The road isn't that far from here and trucks are noisy."

"Sure, I'll go with you. Can't have you getting lost, then Miranda will never get her tree. You'd really be in the doghouse then" he chortles, his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling. Getting up himself, he rubs his hands together and then gestures for Elena to lead the way. Feeling the chaos erupting in her belly, she nods but doesn't say much as they wander further into the woods. When they come upon a tree house, Elena's eyes light up, a big beaming smile forming on her face, forgetting for a moment who she's with.

"Is this yours?"

"Yeah, dad built for us when we were little. It's kind of fallen into disrepair though. See," he starts to say, pointing upwards, "The shingles on the roof are loose and the stairs are kind of rickety too. When it gets warm again, I'm going to try to do some work on it. Katherine is expecting and it might be fun to spend time here with my niece or nephew when they're old enough."

"That's exciting."

"Yeah it is. It's due in the spring," Damon adds, looking at her for a moment before dropping his eyes and using his boot to kick the dirt around a little bit. The wind picks up, it's mournful sound gusting through the thick growth of trees. Feeling the shiver into her bones, Elena snuggles her arms around her body. "I maybe will head home. The temperature is definitely dropping and the snow is picking up too."

"I guess you weren't cut out to be a lumberjack after all," Damon adds, playfully quirking his brows in a manner that is reminiscent of John Belushi in " _Animal House_." Although she'd love to smack that look right off of his face, she cups her hands and brings them to her mouth. When Caroline's face pops into her head, all she can think about is flinging more than a few colorful metaphors in her direction. Why on earth did she let her best friend talk her into coming out here all by herself?

"You're suspiciously quiet?" Damon mentions, their eyes meeting from across the clearing.

"I'm.. .. just going to head back. I'm cold and my fingers are getting numb."

"Little Elena Gilbert, the human popsicle."

Having had enough of his teasing, she glares at him, stiffens her shoulders and starts to walk away. When she reaches the edge of the clearing and just as she's about to step into the dense forest she hears her name.

"E... E.. Elena?"

The passionate tone of his voice stops her in her tracks. Immediately her heart begins to stammer so intensely that it feels like a herd of wild horses is galloping against her chest wall. Shaking her head back and forth, a determined look crosses her face and before she can talk herself out of it, she launches herself at him, joining their lips in a kiss so intense it sears her insides. When the need for air trumps everything else, they break apart, their chests heaving in tandem with each other. In shock and with his nerves firing on all cylinders, Damon can't seem to get a word out. And when he does, he stutters, Wh wh what was th that?"

Misinterpreting his reaction, feelings of rejection begin to envelope her. And before he can see her tears, she turns on her heels and runs deeper into the trees. Not knowing what he did wrong and fearing for her safely, he breaks into a run himself, following right behind. Knowing these woods like the back of his hand, it doesn't take him long to catch up to her.

Taking her hands in his, he asks, "Wh wh why di did you ru ru run away?" Even though his secret now on full display, he doesn't care. Somehow he knows that she won't ridicule or make fun. It's not who she is.

"Why did I run away?... I like you, Damon. I have for a long time but when I saw the look on your face," she whispers, letting her own secret spill from her lips.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he feels his heart slamming inside of his throat. He takes a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure then opens them, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones.

"I.. I.. di di didn't mean it like that. I.. I stutter, Elena."

When a look of understanding rather than pity crosses her face, he relaxes immediately and when he does, his speech normalizes. "Some people are mean and make fun of me and others like me that have the same problem. I promise I wasn't rejecting you. I like you too, I just didn't know how to tell you or approach you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he starts to say and before another sound leaves his lips, she cradles his cheeks and pulls their mouths together with a kiss so intense it would melt the polar icecaps. As their lips mold and slide together, he wraps her in his arms, pulling her flush against him. Feeling her tongue tease the seam of his lips, he opens up, letting her thrust it inside. With his hand, he snakes it under both her coat and her flannel shirt, his fingertips pressing into her soft skin.

Feeling a wad of snow slam against the back of his head, Damon breaks the kiss. "What the he...?" Turning around, he sees his brother smiling wryly.

"Stefan?"

"Brady, Nick and a couple of the other guys used the winch to get the tree loaded on the flat bed. It's already on the way to your house, Elena. So I'll just let you two alone now," he adds, raising an eyebrow teasingly. "Oh and before I go, dad sent this along. He thought you might like something hot to drink but by the looks of it, you two are generating enough heat on your own." Feeling her face heat up as her cheeks bloom even redder, Elena drops her eyes to the forest floor when Stefan walks towards them. After handing Damon the thermos and he disappears without saying another word. With it in one hand, he offers Elena his other.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she adds, looking at him a little curiously.

With her hand in his, he leads her back into the woods, albeit in a different direction. And when they find another clearing, Elena's jaw drops and her eyes widen gleefully when she sees the little Gingerbread playhouse, images of Hansel and Gretel popping into her head. "What is this?"

"It's Katherine's playhouse," he tells her, turning the combination lock till it pops open. "Stefan and me got the tree house and she got this." Pulling open the door, he gestures with a sway of his arm for her to go in first.

"This is amazing, Damon," she gushes, running her hand along the little counter tops and the shuttered windows with cute little candy patterned curtains. The walls are painted a pale pink and the pictures adorning them are artist's drawings of fairytales. The Tortoise and the Hare, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Gingerbread Man and Rapunzel that are all staring back at her. There's a little table and chairs, a doll crib and a even rocking chair. Damon pulls out one of the chairs. Smiling, she sits down. Damon opens one of the little cupboards. When he pulls out a little tea set, she can't help but laugh.

Taking them in hand, he pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes them out. Sitting beside her, he opens up the thermos and then surprises her when he pulls a flask out of his inner jacket pocket. "It's Bailey's," he says, pouring a little into the thermos cup before adding enough hot chocolate to fill it. Without saying anything, he suddenly walks back to tiny kitchen, fist pumping when he finds a couple of straws. Handing her one, they both drop them into the hot chocolate and begin to slurp.

By the time they finish off the last of both the Bailey's and the cocoa, they're both a little tipsy. When the wind starts to gust a little more forcefully, he insists they head back. There is no heat in Katherine's magical little playhouse. Once Elena is bundled up with his scarf covering her face, he pulls one of the edges down to expose her mouth to join their lips in one more torrid kiss, so intense that it pulls the breath from his lungs. When they break apart, Damon lifts the scarf back over her face. Pausing long enough to drop one more peck to her very pink nose, they walk outside into the now blustery snowfall. After he makes sure the padlock is snapped, he wraps his arms around her, holding her as close as he can while still maintaining the ability to walk. Sufficiently sober by the time they reach Elena's car, he hesitantly lets her go so she can unlock it.

With a sad smile, she pulls the door open. But before she can crawl in, he pulls her back, flush against his chest. "Be my date for the Founder's New Year's Eve ball?"

"Yes, yes," she replies, that beaming smile back on her face. "I better go. I have about eighty texts here from my mom. I told you she mind melds with National Lampoon this time of year."

A roar of laughter leaves his own lips and just as she's about to get behind the wheel, he latches onto her wrist. When their eyes meet again, he whispers, "Kiss me." And she does..

* * *

 _A huge thank you to my dear sister, Eva. I love you dearly._

 _Thank you Kelly for the wonderful prompt._

 _I already posted the one-shot based on Jaybunzy0's prompt. It's called 'Wind Beneath My Wings'. I also posted "El Paso" for Morvamp for her birthday on Tuesday. I will be updating my other stories. I've just been so involved in writing these one-shots that they got put on the back burner for a bit. Eva and I have an idea for one more that we're working on._

 _Thank you all so much for supporting my stories._

 _Please click that little review button. I'd love to hear your thoughts._


	2. Happy New Year

**_I never expected to revisit this story nor 'Burnt Ice'. DE are pairs figure skaters in that one if you're interested. So many of you asked for more of this story._**

 ** _This one is dedicated to all of you._**

* * *

A beautiful sound, the familiar chords of Elena's favorite Christmas carol waft through the house and out through the front door. The magical sound draws in her curiosity. She slowly advances and raises her hand to the door knocker. She doesn't want to disturb whoever is creating the symphony so she picks it up, knocking gently hoping that someone will hear it.

Elena breathes a sigh of relief when Damon's mother pulls it open and steps aside motioning for her to come in. She presses her index finger to her lips and curls her other one, gesturing for her to follow. They slowly advance toward the parlor. She's afraid that if she takes one wrong step or turn, the music will waver and cease. They halt when they reach their destination. She points to her son who's playing the music like a virtuoso. A young girl that Elena recognizes as Elijah's daughter, Hope Mikaelson, is sitting beside him on the bench, her eyes focused only on him. Elena smiles, it's pretty easy to see that young Hope is smitten, it's as if Damon hung the moon. Her face is literally beaming as she watches his slender fingers dance over the ivory and charcoal black keys.

"I didn't know he could play," Elena whispers, mesmerized herself by the magic he's creating with his hands.

"Damon has been playing the piano since he was just a young boy. He didn't need to speak when he played so it was an outlet for his frustration about his stutter. I was almost afraid he'd give it up after his speech therapist worked her magic but he kept at it."

"He's amazing."

"He is. Why don't you go on in, I'll make some hot chocolate. He told me you like it with a hint of Bailey's." She breaks out laughing when Elena's head jerks, their eyes meeting. Then suddenly the music stops, having been interrupted by his mom's laugh.

"Don't stop, Damon," Hope protests, pouting as she crosses her arms over her chest. Damon laughs and then turns around, a huge smile forming when his eyes join with Elena's. When he starts to get up, Elena shakes her head back and forth.

"You heard her, Damon, don't stop."

"Okay but why don't you join us?" Damon brushes his hand over the seat beside him.

"My mom sent me over with a couple of her homemade fruitcakes. They're in the back seat of my car," she explains, pointing behind her with her thumb.

"They're not going anywhere. Sit.. I'll bring them in afterwhile."

Elena bobs her head and sits down, her heart speeding up when he winks at her. "You're incorrigible."

"You love it."

"He told me so, Elena," Hope interrupts, smiling so wide that Elena can see that her two front teeth are missing.

"Is that what you want for Christmas, Hope, your two front teeth?" Elena's eyes are twinkling as she looks at the six year old.

"The tooth fairy gave me a dollar for each tooth. Uncle Niklaus said he was a little stingy but daddy told him that he should apply for the job if he wasn't satisfied."

A laugh bursts from Damon's mouth. "My brother in law, Niklaus Mikaelson Tooth Fairy at your service." He is literally shaking as he winks at the two girls beside him. Suddenly the sound of the door knocker interrupts quieting their zeal.

"That's probably your Grandma Esther," Lily Salvatore says, eyeing Hope.

"Damon will you play one more song?"

"Which one?"

"Rudolph?"

"Your wish is my command, milady." He stretches out his fingers for a second and then places his hands on the key, the music coming alive as his fingers find the keys.

 _"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose.. And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.."_

Damon finishes with a little finesse just as his mom and Esther Mikaelson join them in the parlor. "Are you ready to go home Hope?"

"Do we have to Grandma? Damon was playing with me."

"Yes, honey, we have to. Grandpa is waiting to play Candyland with you."

"Yay, let's go," she squeals then jumps of the piano bench and runs to the woman. She helps her slip her coat and scarf on.

"What do you say to Damon?"

"Thanks for watching me." She runs over and gives him a hug and then goes back to her grandma.

"Bye Hope. Come again."

"I will. Bye, bye." She waves to him and then disappears out of the parlor with Esther and Lily.

"I'm glad you came over," Damon says, leaning over to capture her lips in a quick but smoldering kiss.

"Um, that's nice. How about another?" She cups the side of his face and pulls his mouth back to hers. They mold and slide together and when she parts her lips, he thrusts his tongue in. She moans and moves her hand to the back of his neck to bring him even closer. _His kisses are glorious._ When they hear the sound of throat clearing, they jerk apart and start to laugh when Damon's mother shakes her head.

"Thanks mom," Damon mumbles, his eyes never leaving Elena's as she disappears leaving them alone again. "Do you want to meet Annabelle?"

"I would love to."

Damon takes her by the hand and leads her down the hall and into the basement. He has a huge aviary. _Damon_ the raven squawks.

"Wow. You've had her a long time?"

"I raised her. She had a badly broken wing, the vet said she'll never fly so she would either have to be euthanized or kept as a pet. She'd be easy prey for a predator if she couldn't fly. She's five years old. During the summer, we have this aviary outside but during the winter, dad and I set it up down here." He opens the cage and lets the pet perch on his outstretched finger.

"May I?" Elena asks, raising her finger toward Annabelle.

"Of course." Elena smiles and pets the bird's head softly with her fingertip. The raven is curious, its eyes looking at her intently while she ducks and turns her head.

"I think I'm in love." Elena laughs. Damon puts her back in the huge cage. After refilling her water and food supply, he closes the door. Then without warning, he grabs Elena by the wrist and pulls her into his chest. With a twinkle in his eyes, he lowers his mouth and takes hers in another fiery kiss. When they need air, they pull apart. Elena's eyes are hazy when she raises her fingers to ghost along her still numb lips. "You can kiss me like that anytime you want."

"Good to know." He wraps his arms around her, dips her down and then latches onto her mouth yet again. Seconds pass like minutes before he finally lets go and helps her upright. "Let's go get those fruitcakes."

"Ah ha," she mumbles dazedly and follows Damon up the stairs.

* * *

Damon is laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. It's blizzarding outside, the storm so intense that their electricity is out. Fortunately his father installed a generator a couple of years ago so they at least still have some power in their home. What rankles him is that he can't text Elena. He can't help but wonder what she's doing right now. Sighing, he gets up and walks over to the window seat. He presses his hand against the cold pane of glass. There's nothing friendly about the storm outside. It's blinding, he can't even see the picket fence that surrounds their home. The gale force winds whip each flake around. The sound of his mother's wind chimes echoes through the air but since the visibility is so bad, he can't see them dancing with each gust of wind.

He can't help but wonder how many days they'll be snowed in. Their tree farm is a few miles outside of Mystic Falls. It may take a couple of days for the snowplow to clear their road. He has another problem to think about. He asked Elena to be his date for the New Year's Eve dance and yet he hasn't danced at one of these events like ever. He doesn't want to make a fool of himself because if he does, he knows that he'll stutter. His head snaps to his right when he hears the bedroom door open.

"I made some homemade chicken noodle soup. Are you hungry?" Lily has always been able to see right through her son. She walks over to him and sits down on the other side of the window and faces him. "What's the matter?"

"I asked Elena to go to the dance as you know. I don't want to embarrass her with my nonexistent dancing skills."

"Well, the dance is still almost a week away. Katherine has always been an amazing dancer. I'll bet she'll help you if you'd like?"

Damon raises his eyes, a smile forming on his face. "I'd like that. I have no idea how to waltz."

"Let's go eat first. And because today is your lucky day, your sister is downstairs as we speak."

Damon nods enthusiastically and then follows his mother out of the room.

* * *

Damon pushes aside the dining room table and chairs to make room for them to dance. When he hears footsteps he looks up just as Katherine is walking in with a CD player. She sets it down, puts the disc in and pushes play. The soft sounds of the classical music fill the room. Damon spreads his arms and she smiles mischievously and waves her index finger.

"I expect a bow kind sir," she says, trying hard to keep a straight face.

"Katherine, you're never going to let me live this down are you?"

She shakes her head back and forth so Damon bows and spreads his arms again and this time she takes his hand.

After they take a cursory run across the floor, she lets go and grabs their mother, the two of them showing him how it's done. When Damon's father calls aloud, Lily hastens her retreat after giving Damon a light hug and whispering that he'll do fine.

He and Katherine join arms again. This time she treats his follow with respect, never forcing movement from him, but following him through every one. If she leads a step or a pattern and he interprets the movement differently than she had intended, she adapts to him rather than forcing change.

"That's right Damon, the follow, that's you, should always have a sense of security and safety while we're dancing. And also know that you can fully depend on the lead which is me."

Katherine directs him to stand with his feet a few inches apart. She then invites him to take steps that follow the 3 beats per measure tempo of the waltz. She tells him to count and take a step with each number and that he should step left, right, and left. And then they step right, left and right with Damon counting the moves. They continue the pattern till he gets the hang of it. Then they practice posture.

"Wrap your right arm around my arm so that your hand touches the middle of my back. Your left hand should be held out to hold Elena's right hand." Damon nods and does what she tells him and after a good hour of practice, he is dancing the waltz with her.

"Thank you. It's really not that hard."

"No, it isn't. You'll sweep Elena off of her feet," she smiles then steps away and turns off the music. Just as they're finishing up, Nick appears in the threshold and starts to clap. Damon bows with an exaggerated sweep of his hands. Katherine claps her hands and gives her brother a hug.

"It's late, Katherine. Are you ready to go to bed?"

"I am, goodnight, Damon." She smiles and follows her husband up the long staircase. With the weather treacherous, they're staying the night rather than risk driving home.

"Goodnight Katherine and... thank you." He says and when they're gone, he puts the furniture back in its place. After turning out the lights, he goes back to his room and collapses on the bed with a smile on his face.

* * *

Damon is looking at himself in the floor to ceiling mirror that's in his mother's huge walk in closet. Trying to calm his nerves he takes a deep shuddering breath. He's excited to spend the evening with Elena but he also can't deny that he feels nervous. The New Year's Ball is a Mystic Falls tradition dating back over a hundred years. It's not like he hasn't gone before but he's never gone with a treasure like Elena on his arm. She's so beautiful and he's crazy mad about her already. _His heart speeds up whenever she's near._

After splashing on some cologne and putting on his tie, he walks back into his room when he hears his phone ringing. Hoping it's Elena, he picks it up, his eyes nearly popping out of his head when he sees that it's "Nadia" calling..

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror, Elena stares at herself. She's wearing an emerald green vintage style off shoulder ball gown formal dress with modest sweetheart neckline. Adorning her neck is a single bezel diamond set in 18K gold necklace. The only thing she hates is that she'll have to wear a wrap to keep her warm.

"You look beautiful, now let me put a little blush on for you and fix your hair. Damon will be speechless when he lays eyes on you."

"I hope so, mom. Because of the weather and all the after Christmas clean up that they do at their tree farm, we haven't been able to see much of each other for the last week. Sure he texts and calls me but it's not the same as spending time together. We agreed to meet at the ball but I don't know why? We talked about calling to make the arrangements. I tried to reach him several times earlier today but he didn't pick up."

 _He isn't going to stand me up is he?_

Her thoughts are interrupted when they hear the doorbell. "That must be Caroline. I'll send her up."

"Thanks." Elena takes a breath and watches her mom walk out before facing the mirror again. She can't help the nagging feeling that something is wrong. When she hears Caroline's giddy voice, she spins around, smiling despite herself.

"Wow, you look amazing, Elena."

"Thanks Care. So do you." She's wearing a burgundy sleeveless gown with a billowing skirt that has tulle flowers adorning the bottom of it. She's wearing a ruby chip choker and a corsage pinned on the right side of her gown just above her breast.

"Can I use some of your perfume?"

"Of course, Care. Which one do you want?"

"I want Prada Candy. And speaking of candy, I saw the gingerbread house. Did you make it?"

Elena nods, smiling inside. She made it for Damon as a little momento of their magical moment in his sister's playhouse. She startles out of her reverie when she sees fingers snapping in front of her eyes.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah... the perfume is in there."

The girls step into the bathroom and Elena reaches into her perfume cupboard. She hands Caroline the one she requested while spritzing Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir on herself. While Caroline primps in front of the mirror, she pauses and quickly turns to Elena.

"Did you know that Nadia Pierce is back in town?"

"Really?" Elena sits down on the closed toilet seat. She remembers Nadia. She's a native of Mystic Falls who dropped out of school after being discovered in an amateur fashion show. Now she's a busy model and an arrogant backstabbing wench. She's also one of the few girls that dated Damon. Her unease starts to burn hot causing her belly to churn uncomfortably.

"You ready to go?"

"I guess," Elena answers uneasily. She picks up her wrap and then follows Caroline out of her room, pausing only to flip off the light switch and pull her door closed.

* * *

Elena and Caroline are at the ball a good hour with Elena even sharing a couple of dances with Matt, Mason and Tyler too. Her own date, Damon, is nowhere to be seen. She happens to notice Stefan and Rebekah when they step into the ball room. Rebekah is wearing a gorgeous navy blue gown with a matching sapphire and diamond collar necklace along with a wrist corsage. Stefan looks very handsome in his black tuxedo. Elena also notices Katherine and Nick standing beside her parents. The whole Salvatore family is here except for Elena's date...

Although she means well, Caroline isn't doing anything to soothe her frayed nerves. She keeps telling her to stop worrying and that Damon will come but Elena herself is freaking out. She can't help but wonder if he just plain stood her up to be with Nadia. When they see her cousin, Caroline drags Elena with her to talk to Amber. After their canned greeting and fake pleasantries because Amber is as much of a snob as Nadia is, Caroline asks her if it's true that Nadia is back and whether or not she's going to grace the community with her presence there tonight.

"No, Nadia isn't coming. She said she had other plans, most importantly, she has an ex that she wants to meet up with. Small town gatherings aren't really her thing anymore." Amber explains, raising her parasol to cover a yawn.

Immediately Elena feels crestfallen. How can she compete with a supermodel, one that looks like Nadia with her perfect figure and surgically enhanced breasts? She's six foot tall and her legs go on and on, she sees the image of _her_ legs wrapped around Damon's middle and it almost brings tears to her eyes. She tries to talk herself out of it but when she excuses herself to try to call him and he still doesn't pick up. She no longer feels like being here so she goes to find her wrap. On the way to coat check, she runs into Stefan and Rebekah.

They're all close so Rebekah immediately picks up on the fact that something is bothering her. "Elena, what is it?"

"It's Damon. I haven't been able to reach him all day. He isn't answering his cellphone. I don't know if I should be worried or angry?"

Before either Rebekah or Stefan can respond, Caroline fills them in on the Nadia news. They share a glance. Elena doesn't miss the uneasiness that washes over Stefan's face. Although he tries to hide it, she's known him for their entire lives.

"Look, I'm just going to go home. Have a nice time," Elena says, wiping her eyes as she hurries away. Fortunately she runs right into Alaric as he's walking out of the men's room. He quickly texts Jenna to tell her he'll be back in a few minutes then follows Elena outside to drive her home.

* * *

Damon is sitting behind the wheel of his car. He got caught in a snowbank and can't get out. To make matters a hundred times worse, he has no cell reception so he can't call for a tow and worst of all, he can't call Elena. _What must she be thinking of him?_

The phone call from Nadia was a bit of a shock. She called repeatedly asking him to come over so much so that he finally got sick of it and turned off his phone. He's not even sure what she wanted but they were never serious when they did date because the only thing she was interested in was his looks and his name.

He bangs his head against the steering wheel in frustration because he should have called Elena before he left home and now he can't do that and she's left to wonder where the hell he is and why he stood her up.

* * *

"I'm afraid that maybe Nadia got to him. Maybe it's completely innocent but she's a snake and I don't trust her. Why don't you stay here and have fun, I'm going to go look for him just in case something is wrong? I'm going to kill him myself if I find the two of them together."

"I'll go with you."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"Nope," Rebekah smiles popping the p. "We'll have our own party when we're alone. Now let's go find that brother of yours."

Stefan pulls her in for a deep kiss then takes her hand. After they retrieve their coats, they hurry into his car to go look for Damon. They drive past Nadia's parents but don't see his car anywhere. Just to satisfy themselves, Rebekah jumps out and knocks on the front door. Stefan's eyes widen when he sees the queen Bee, self proclaimed of Mystic Falls open the door wearing sweats. He starts to laugh out loud inside the car. Moments later his fiancé is back and now that they know Damon isn't with her, they start to worry. They drive through town and to all of Damon's usual haunts again finding nothing.

Then they pull onto one of the gravel roads that partially leads to the Salvatore Tree Farm. Although it's a quicker route, there isn't a lot of traffic on it during the winter because the county doesn't maintain it like they do the paved roads. They drive down it slowly and when they crest a hill, Rebekah points to some flashing emergency lights. When their high beam illuminates Damon, Stefan isn't at all surprised to see him standing on the edge of the road waving for attention with a flashlight.

Stefan stops the car in the middle of the road with his own flashes on so no one happens will end them on the slim chance that there is more traffic on this road tonight. "What happened?"

"I.. I wa was thinking about E Elena. I.. go got to too close to the side of the r road and slid in. Th there's n no sig si signal out here. E.. Elena must be furious wi wi with ma me."

Stefan lays a hand on each of Damon's shoulders and gives them a squeeze. "Calm down, okay? This was an accident. She'll understand."

Unconvinced, Damon looks at him sadly, dropping his eyes to his feet. "You're freezing. Let's get you home before you catch pneumonia."

"N.. no, I.. I have to e ex plain. Take me to to her."

"Okay, I'll drop you off at her house. Text me if you need a ride home though okay?"

Damon nods and crawls in the back seat. Rebekah looks over her shoulder and smiles at him reassuringly. "Elena is a good person, Damon. She'll understand when you explain it to her."

"We we'll sa see." He shares a look with his soon to be sister in law and drops his eyes to where his hands are clutched tightly in his lap. His stomach is roiling and his heart pounds the entire drive to her house. He breathes a little sigh of relief when he sees the lights are still on. He nods to Stefan and gets out of the car. Slowly and methodically, he walks down the sidewalk and up the stairs till he's standing in front of her door. He takes a deep cleansing breath then pushes the doorbell.

He waits and waits till he happens to notice the curtain move. He steps back slightly when the doorknob turns. He's mesmerized by the sight of her. She's still wearing the emerald green gown. He wishes he would have grabbed the corsage he bought out of his car but he forgot. When he hears her voice, he snaps out of his reverie.

"Why are you here, Damon?"

"I... I'm so so so sor sorry E.. Elena. I.. I we we went in into the ditch. I.. I sorry," he stutters out, his speech wracked by anxiety as he hopes she'll believe him.

"Really? Was Nadia with you in the ditch?"

"No.. no El Elena. Wa why wou would y you think that?"

"Because Amber said she was back to reconnect with her ex. That's you Damon."

Damon steps back slightly, closes his eyes and tries to get himself under control and Elena realizes, how silly her doubts were. He's hers and she's his. _Damn her insecurities._

Several seconds pass before he shakes his head back and forth and in the next second, his hands are cradling her face, he brushes his mouth against hers. Her lips are full and soft and he savors every slide of them against his own. He tilts her head so he can deepen the kiss. He pulls back for a second and as soon as he sees the dreamy look on her face, his mouth opens over hers and his teeth catch her lower lip in a gentle bite. They sink into it and he soothes it with his tongue, savoring the fresh taste, hoping to prolong this moment forever.

Although the kiss is slow he is soon out of breath and needs to pause but his lips never stop touching hers. The air between them crackles with electricity, his desire for her is stronger than anything he's ever known before. He's unwilling to release her as he's afraid she'll run inside and slam the door in his face. When they part, Damon drags his mouth to her ear.

"You're so beautiful Elena. Dance with me?"

"Dance with you?"

"Yes, dance with me right here on your porch." He steps back and slips off his suit jacket. After draping it over her shoulders, he takes her arms and starts to hum the notes of the Blue Danube Waltz. To the world it would be just a young couple dancing but to Damon it feels like he's on the top of the world. He's Fred Astaire to her Ginger Rogers as they slow dance and sway to the music. When they finish, he kisses her again. He never wants this perfect moment to end.

"You must be freezing. Come on, let's go inside. I'll make some hot chocolate and I have my own gingerbread house to show you."

"Do you now?"

"I do indeed." She winks at him.

"As much as I want to see it, I'd rather do this once more. Damon takes her hand and leads her onto the sidewalk. Together they look up at the beautiful bright moon. Damon leans over and kisses her cheek. He places one of her arms around his neck, entwines her fingers with one hand while wrapping the other around her middle, pulling her flush against him. This time he hums "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" while they dance under the moon bright sky, a million twinkling stars illuminating the fire in her endless brown eyes.

When theirs meet, the air between them heats up. Elena moves her head to his shoulder, he drops his mouth to her ear, "Happy New Year, Elena." In this moment, she's his, he's hers and nothing else matters...

* * *

 _Thank you all so much._ _I don't have words enough to truly express how grateful Eva and I are for all that you do for us. Thank you for loving Damon and Elena too, for all of your incredible reviews. You're all the best of the DE world._

 _And Eva, I love you dearly and would not be here if not for your wide shoulders and incredibly big heart._

 _Since there was no A2A holiday exchange on LJ this year Eva and I decided to continue the tradition. We wrote seven holiday stories. In our own way, we did our best to keep the tradition alive. We Are Santa's Elves, Old City Bar, Friends and Lovers, Joy to the World, Please Be Home for Christmas, I'll Be Seeing You and finally this story. Thank you so much, we're in awe of all the love you've shown for them. I am already on the hunt for an idea for our Christmas 2018 short story. ;)_

 _My very good friend Salvatoreboys4ever just posted a Christmas story, 'Christmas Wonder'. Another dear friend, Florencia7 posted 'Celebrate Me Home'._

 _Next week 'EWAF' will return and hopefully I can post the first chapter of November Rain:_ _'The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.'_

 _Thank you all again. Please have a fun New Year's Eve but do be very careful. We wish each and every one of you only good things for 2018._


End file.
